ANNISTON, Alabama — Regional Medical Center in Anniston and a funeral home are facing a lawsuit which claims they refused to release a body to a family.

Matthew Reaves filed the suit April 19 in Calhoun County Circuit Court against the hospital, Anniston Funeral Services and its director, the Rev. Jeffery Williams.

Reaves, whose brother died in November, alleges that RMC released the body to Anniston Funeral Services without the family's permission and that Williams refused to release it upon the family's request.

The lawsuit comes a little more than two months after Williams was found not guilty in criminal court of refusal to surrender a corpse.

Raymond Johnson, Williams' attorney in the criminal case, says he believes the complaint will be found to have no merit.